Is the Alberta Flag Bad for Business at Safeway?
The Real Canadian Superstore and its No Frills banners are booming, and they talk a lot about “Buy Canadian”. Superstore television commercials featuring a Canada Goose were viewed by millions during the World Cup.
Whether you like them or not, Loblaws works very hard selling their brand and actively works to bring new customers into their stores.
Sobeys isn’t doing anything with their Safeway brand.
Sobeys likes to complain about their labour cost. They insult their own workers by trying to take their wages away during an affordability crisis. Nationally, they are a highly profitable company. In Alberta, they whine and complain that the business isn’t doing as well as it could.
Surely, that’s not the employees’ fault. Safeway workers show up every day and do their best. They went to work during the pandemic and continue to grind it out during the affordability crisis even though they cannot afford to shop where they work.
Strangely, in some Alberta stores, Sobeys decision makers from Ontario have decided that it is a good idea to hoist Alberta flags. They say that are trying to promote local products, but their signage and roll-out are inconsistent. Again, they are hanging up Alberta flags as the province approaches an incredibly divisive and damaging separatist referendum.
Sobeys has chosen to display the Alberta flag in some of its stores. There is growing public criticism of this as it is strongly associated with the Alberta separatist movement.
Click here to read.
We have filed a grievance with Sobeys over the use of Alberta flags in stores.
It is a blunt reality that the Alberta flag is now a symbol of the separatist movement in our province. In two recent polls, 80-90% of Local 401 members have said they oppose separation. This is consistent with general population polling that finds 80% of Albertans oppose separation.
Regardless of what your personal opinion of this might be, why would Sobeys wade into this controversial topic? Might the display of Alberta flags alienate 80% of customers and employees?
Online commentary by customers has also started to reveal that shoppers are starting to get angry at Safeway for presenting Alberta flags in their stores. At a time when workers need more hours, full-time jobs, and more pay, why is Sobeys threatening their business by betting on a losing cause?
Let us know what you think by taking our survey.
Last week, we returned to the bargaining table with Sobeys – this time with the government-appointed mediator assigned to our negotiations. Like the Alberta flag issue, there has been zero movement on the issues that are critically important to you and your family.
There was no movement on ending the Supreme Court of Canada application to claw back the wage increases you and your union fought tooth and nail to win.
There was no movement on improving your wages.
There was no movement on your benefits.
There was no movement on buyouts or retirement bonuses.
To be clear, in almost one year of bargaining the company still has not advanced an offer of settlement!
We continue to bargain and negotiate in good faith with the company, and we are hopeful that a settlement can be reached before September. However, we must be realistic about the low odds of the company making meaningful movement without a strike vote taking place.
As a contingency, your union is preparing for a strike vote to tentatively to take place the second week of September. Negotiations are scheduled the following week, and we believe it is critical to be able to walk into those negotiations with a strong and powerful strike vote in hand.
Your Union will continue to fight for you and with you regardless of what Sobeys throws our way. Stay strong, support one another, and let’s work together to make your working life better.
In Solidarity,
Your Union
UFCW Local 401
Posted on: July 27,2026